What Lurks Beneath the Surface ✔️

chapter twelve

I love the city in October. I love the vibrant colors, the crisp weather, apple picking, pumpkin spice lattes, all of it. Yes, I'm a basic bitch, but I won't apologize for being excited about my favorite time of year.

And now that I have a boyfriend to do all of my favorite fall activities with, I'm even more thrilled.

This weekend, my family and I are going to the Harvest Festival, where we'll indulge in apple cider, funnel cakes, and pumpkin ale—if I'm lucky. Rem is joining us. He's finally going to meet my crazy family after a month of us dating. I'm a tad nervous, but not as much as I was when I introduced them to Nash. Nobody cared for him, least of all Aunt Gemma, but they were still civil. It wasn't until the following day that Gram sat me down and told me that my boyfriend was an "egotistical, empty-headed fuck boy." Rem actually has substance, so I'm confident that my family will actually approve of him and not just be polite to his face.

"I'm certainly looking forward to meeting him," Uncle Bowie says the evening before the festival. He and Zayna are paying me to babysit Wyatt and Aurora so they can have a date night. I'm not ecstatic about spending my Friday night with a three- and seven-year-old, but I love my cousins, and I'm desperate for cash.

"You're going to be nice to him, right?" Zayna steps in, crossing her slender arms over her chest. "Vange doesn't need an overprotective, testosterone-filled man scaring her new boyfriend away."

"Thank you, Auntie Z," I reply, taking an exhausted-looking toddler from her arms. "Have fun tonight, you crazy kids."

Rolling his aquamarine eyes, Bowie bids us goodbye and leads Zayna back to their car. I notice the way he pinches her butt before opening her door for her. Since they are my aunt and uncle, I should be disgusted, but a part of me thinks their flirtatious behavior is endearing.

Who knows? If Rem and I make it through high school, maybe we'll be like that someday.

The morning of the Harvest Festival, I apply a generous amount of makeup, dress myself in my favorite sweater and jeans, and straighten my wavy locks. Satisfied with my reflection in the mirror, I rush downstairs, where Gram and Grandpa are waiting for me.

"Oh, you look so pretty," Gram gushes, squishing me in a hug.

"Thank you," I reply after breaking free of her boa constrictor squeeze. "You guys ready to go?"

"We are," Grandpa answers. He fetches his car keys off the counter and heads outside, Gram and I in tow. He locks the door behind us before adding, "By the way, Vange, your aunt wanted me to tell you that she won't be able to make it today. She got stuck working, I guess."

"So she's not gonna meet Rem?" The corners of my lips descend into a frown. "Oh, okay."

Ever since I caught Aunt Gemma lying about Rem's dad, she's been avoiding me. I haven't seen her since Wyatt's party, and for us, that's a long time.

It hurts that she won't be truthful with me. It hurts even more that I don't understand why.

"It'll be okay, sweetheart. She'll meet him soon," Gram assures me, patting my shoulder. "Alright, now who's ready to drink their weight in apple cider?"

My excitement returns as we get in the car and drive to the fairgrounds. I hold back a squeal when we arrive, the familiar sight bringing an elated smile to my face. There are booths with food, homemade crafts, face painting, and more. Once the sun goes down and most of the younger kids are home in bed, there will be a haunted hayride around the perimeter—my absolute favorite part.

I walk around with my grandparents for a bit, stopping occasionally to look at things. Grandpa locates a food vendor and buys some snacks since none of us ate breakfast.